From Murderer to Pastor

Never in a million years did David Chang, a man with 36 convictions to his name ever thought that he would become a preacher or even a Christian. At the age of 10 his greatest ambition was to be a “gunman” and to go to prison. This dream was accomplished at the age of 15. Today David Chang’s greatest challenge is to win souls for Christ and to preach the gospel in whatever area he is given the opportunity to do so.

Chang told SEARCHLIGHT that the main reason he wanted to become a “gunman” and go to prison was because of the level of respect that was shown to those persons and the number of girls that these type of persons used to have in his time growing up.{{more}}

At the age of 15 he broke into a business place in his home town and was wanted by the police. Having a great desire to serve time in prison, he gave himself up to the police, as they had difficulty catching up with him as they thought it was a Chinese man because of the name.

According to Chang during his time at prison, the other inmates taught him new and better ways to steal and use firearms.

“When I came out of jail I was well trained, I thought that I went to a college,” Chang told SEARCHLIGHT.

After being released from prison, Chang then aligned himself with one of the top gangs in Jamaica and became involved in a number of shootings, robberies and murder, which in his younger days he described as one of the best things to happen to him in life.

“I never believed in Jesus, I used to rob Christians and cursed church,” he highlighted to SEARCHLIGHT.

At the age of 22 he was wanted for murder and seven counts of shooting. He was apprehended by the police in 1990 and was sentenced in prison for 8 years.

After living what he termed a “bad man’s” life in prison for the first four years, the time finally came when the life he was living was no longer interesting and he wanted to die.

In February 1994, during a visit of a team of Christians from the New Testament Church, Chang tried to catch the attention of two ladies that came along with the church.

However instead of attracting the ladies, the Lord had better things in store for him. While he was trying to impress the girls, he felt a different feeling come over him – one which he described as joyous.

“I did not feel like the same man I was before I was baptized. I couldn’t read so I went back to school and got my subjects and the other inmates encouraged me,” Chang told SEARCHLIGHT.

According to him, all his other inmates and prison officers saw the changes that he had made in his life and encouraged him to keep it up.

After serving his 8 years and one month in prison he then made up his mind not to turn back.

At first the people in his community, and even his mother found it hard to believe that he had changed and it took the community a year and six months before they believed.

Today, David Chang is a pastor in one of the areas where he was termed a “badman” and a wanted man. He also holds a diploma in Biblical and Pastoral Studies and is planning to start his degree in September.

Chang is married and has two daughters.

He visited St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the national crusade that took place here during the week. The Crusade that will be concluding on Sunday March 25 where all the churches will meet at the Victoria Park for the Grand Finale.